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1955

Disneyland 1955 Home Movies

If I had a time machine at my disposal, it would be very tempting to travel back to 1955, cough up the dollar fifty admission and visit Disneyland during its inaugural year. While, I don’t have a time machine, there is YouTube and the great culture of sharing home movies. Here are a few home videos that feature Walt’s park in its earliest incarnation.

This next one captures the park just a few days after opening. Walt even makes an appearance:

Holy smokes. Did you see that clown at the 2:08 mark? Where did that come from? Also note at 2:30 that Dumbo was still under construction.

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Disneyland Home Videos from 1955 – Spectacular New Video

Major kudos to the Disney History Institute for their latest contribution to our knowledge of early Disneyland. They’ve compiled a video of color footage from 1955. The video is more than just home movies edited together, it reveals how the park would have looked to… Read More »Disneyland Home Videos from 1955 – Spectacular New Video

Disney Parks Then and Now

Earlier this month, I posted a marvelous photo of Walt Disney standing on the steps of the Main Street Train Station in 1955 looking out into the present. The component parts of that picture came from a amazing collection of photos that capture how Disney… Read More »Disney Parks Then and Now

Jason’s Disneyland Almanac – An Astounding Compendium of Park Information

The saying goes that the magic of Disneyland is in the details. If so, there is no book more Disneyland than the Disneyland Almanac assembled by the team of Jason Schultz and Kevin Yee. Jason’s Disneyland Almanac: Complete Park Information 1955-2010 includes a near comprehensive… Read More »Jason’s Disneyland Almanac – An Astounding Compendium of Park Information

Happy Birthday Disneyland

Disneyland turns 56 today. Although I have not visited in far too long, it remains my favorite park. It is the only park Walt Disney ever walked in and because of that, has a special kind of magic you can’t find at any other Disney… Read More »Happy Birthday Disneyland

The Story of Disneyland – 1955 Guidebook

Former Disney Imagineer Mark Hickson is now blogging over at “Disney by Mark.” He’s been cheerfully sharing some unique peeks behind the magic along with pieces from his collection of Disney memorabilia. I’m particularly enjoying his scans of the 1955 Guidebook for Disneyland – The… Read More »The Story of Disneyland – 1955 Guidebook

Original 1955 Disneyland Railroad Cars Reunited in San Luis Obispo

The Disney History Institute is out with their first documentary and it will make Disneyland Railroad fans weep. The first part of the video reveals 1955 Disneyland in gorgeous full color and includes a trip around the park on the Railroad featuring footage I’d never… Read More »Original 1955 Disneyland Railroad Cars Reunited in San Luis Obispo

Walt Disney Family Museum Celebrates the 55

This week marks the 55th anniversary of Disneyland’s grand opening (either the 17th or 18th of July depending on how you’re counting). The park itself is doing something around Merchandise, the Disneyana Fan Club is having a convention, and, not to be left out, the Walt Disney Family Museum is having two days of events.

Alas the WDFM events are already sold out. But if you follow them on twitter (@WDFMuseum) then you can keep up with the goings on and get access to special coverage they’ll be posting over the following days.

More details below the jump

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